Dry and warmer race expected in China

The weather forecast for the Chinese Grand Prix this year looks slightly better than the unseasonably cool temperatures seen in 2012.

The weekend is expected to remain dry but as usual temperatures will be well short of the scorching highs seen in Malaysia.

Teams can expect cloudy conditions at the track for the first day of running on Friday, though it may break up to give clear skies in time for Sunday’s race.

Air temperatures will trend steadily upwards from the low to mid twenties during the weekend, meaning the track should be a couple of degrees warmer than it was last year.

This is crucial for the all-important question of tyre performance. The track’s limited use and pollution from the industrial complex that surrounds it produce a low-grip surface which can lead to tyre graining, though the situation tends to improve with each passing session.

Local emissions levels also lead to poor air quality. However neighbouring factories usually reduce their output during the race weekend, leading to a marked improvement in visibility from Friday to Sunday.

Encouragingly for the teams there’s no indication of rain during the three days’ running. You can keep an eye on that over the weekend with these radar images of the region: